‘Hoping to move on’ - Newcastle United are still looking to offload forgotten star with 118 Prem appearances
Newcastle United are looking to sell a former fan favourite
The 2024 summer transfer window has officially closed and one player that still remains on the books at St James’ Park is forgotten midfielder Isaac Hayden.
The 29-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements in the North East, but has failed to secure a permanent move despite reports of interest from numerous Championship clubs, including West Bromwich Albion and former clubs Queens Park Rangers and Hull City.
The ex-Arsenal midfielder was a major part of Rafael Benitez’s promotion winning team in 2016/17 in his first term and was an equally important part of the squad which avoided relegation under both Benitez and Steve Bruce between 2017 and 2021, racking up 118 Premier League appearances and five goals in the process.
However, since the PIF led takeover and the appointment of Eddie Howe, Hayden has largely been banished to the outskirts of the Newcastle United team. He has played just four league games since Howe’s arrival in October 2021 and has not featured for the Magpies since a crushing 4-0 away defeat to Manchester City back in December 2021.
Hayden, who is still under contract until 2026, has spent the last two seasons out on loan at various locations including Norwich City, Standard Liege and most recently Queens Park Rangers.
However, the Magpies have struggled to reach an agreement for a permanent sale this summer due to the midfielder’s reported salary of around £50,000 per week, which he agreed when he was handed a long-term contract extension by Bruce in 2020.
Many Championship clubs believe this figure is out of their price range, particularly with the pressures thrust upon them by financial fair play regulations.
The Northern Echo understands that Newcastle are keen to move on the 29-year-old midfielder as soon as possible and claim that one of the options could potentially be a contract termination or even a move to an overseas club that is not restricted by the timings of the English transfer window.